Over the weekend, I was listening to a rebroadcast of America's Top 40 with CASEY KASEM from February 1987. There was a song on the countdown that reminded me of a trauma suffered by my nephew. The song was "Somewhere Out There" sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. This song is from the 1986 animated film AN AMERICAN TAIL. It seemed like a harmless animated movie that could not possibly traumatize a child.
Well, in the fall of 1987 my sister and her husband decided they wanted to go out of town for the weekend and leave my nephew (3 years old) and my niece (8 months old) with me (16 years old). The only flaw in this fabulous plan was selecting AN AMERICAN TAIL as the entertainment. Bear in mind that this was the first time (other than the birth of my niece) my nephew had been separated from his parents. About the time, Fievel is separated from his family and begins telling everyone he meets he lost his family my nephew began crying. For the rest of the weekend all I heard was, "I've lost my family." constantly. Due to a poor choice at the video store, my nephew was traumatized and I was annoyed. To this day, I can't stand AN AMERICAN TAIL.
Ha! That's hilarious. I never saw this movie but I can see the separation anxiety building in your nephew!
btw, I totally want to hear that Casey Kasem broadcast! I used to love those countdowns. They'd take all day!
Amanda, a local radio station plays the rebroadcasts on Saturday and Sunday. It is so much fun to listen to. I found out here that they also play on XM radio.
I can attest to the level of ire that anything having to do with "An American TAIL" arouses in Mickster. Â I didn't understand it until I heard the story. Â I've never seen the movie. Â I dislike emotionally manipulative stories. Â For me, Don Bluth begins and ends with "Secret of Nimh."
My sister and I did a bad babysitting choice when we watched our cousin's then 2 year old daughter. The kid was in another room and my sister decided to watch "The Godfather". When the scene came on when a guy had a knife plunged into his hand pinning it on a table. At the same time he was strangled. It was then that the 2 year old came in the room and she saw this and stared with this horrified/shocked look on her face! Now she did grow up to be fine. Still, that wasn't something a two year old should have seen!
Hear, hear, PVW! Secret of NIMH is the only Bluth film I can stomach. It's pretty damned dark! American Tail just kind of annoys me, and all the airplay ensured that I got tired of that song real quick…